Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is an umbrella term for a range of arthritides affecting children and young people where the cause is not clear. JIA is a diagnosis of exclusion for children <16 years old who have persistent joint swelling (>6 weeks).

Different kinds of JIA include polyarthritis, oligoarthritis and systemic forms.

Epidemiology:

• Affects 1/1000 children
• Most common cause of chronic joint pain in children

PC

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis initially presents with systemic signs followed by joint pain.

• Systemic signs include:
  • Fevers
  • Malaise
  • Salmon pink rash
• Joint involvement can be in one or multiple joints

Diagnosis

• Clinical diagnosis after excluding other causes - infections, malignancy, lupus

Management

• This is a chronic disease requiring MDT input from paediatricians, physiotherapy, orthopaedics, occupational therapy and ophthalmology.
• JIA can be extremely debilitating and patients may need psychological support to help coming to terms with using walking aids so early on in life

Options for medical management include: